The 2024 World Cup of Synod Jargon

On about October 8th, when we have decided what the worst hymn is, we shall start the 2024 World Cup of Synod Jargon. The 2023 World Cup voters decided that "a new way of being Church" was the winner, and "a kenotic de-centering" came second. This year's World Cup will include 16 new entrants received since the previous World Cup, and exclude all the 2023 heroes. After all, a key principle of synodality is to reject everything that was good in the past.

Here we go again!

The sixteen extrants are:

a real Copernican turning point
a snippet of 'conversation in the spirit'
a multidimensional impact on churches
a new theology which gives 'flavour'
athletes of synodality
breathe synodality into academic theology
circularity animated the synodal process
discernment is synodal
forgiveness for the sins against synodality
mission is always synodal
passes through a relational conversion
preserve harmony in your discernment
socio-cultural diversity in a multifaceted church
teaching us to be bread for others
the synodal methodology of conversation
which aspect of 'PLACE' is important?

For practical reasons (because the entrants are quite long they are hard to fit into a tweet), there will be a simple knockout competition conducted by Twitter polls, and no group stages.

---

SEMI-FINALS, with the full version of each bit of jargon. Illustrations produced by the Copilot AI program.

forgiveness in the name of all the baptised for the sins against synodality 83

understanding how to be a synodal church in mission thus passes through a relational conversion 17

athletes and standard-bearers of synodality 41.2

the principle of circularity that animated the whole synodal process 58.8

---

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

understanding how to be a synodal church in mission thus passes through a relational conversion 45.9
athletes and standard-bearers of synodality 54.1 BRONZE MEDAL

---

FINAL

forgiveness in the name of all the baptised for the sins against synodality 72 GOLD MEDAL
the principle of circularity that animated the whole synodal process 28 SILVER MEDAL

The worst synod jargon - the last stages

I hope you will agree with me that:

In this time of profound encounter and dialogue we offer the invitation to journey together, creating spaces for everyone so that we may live unity-in-diversity.

While:

Catholics must experience the synod, must do synod; conversation in the Spirit is a new way of being Church, so enlarge the space of your tent.

Whereas:

The synod mothers ask for a kenotic de-centering since listening and dialogue inspire decision-making processes in an authentically synodal manner.

Therefore:

The lived experience that has been shared through a listening Church respects the protagonism of the Spirit in God’s surprises.

Well, those are the last sixteen entries for the World Cup of Synod Jargon, tastefully arranged into four groups. We shall give the final results here (quarter-finals through to final) when we have them.

QUARTER-FINALS

a new way of being Church 71.9 -v- synod mothers 28.1

live unity-in-diversity 37.8 -v- a kenotic de-centering 62.2

respects the protagonism of the Spirit 56.3 -v- this time of profound encounter and dialogue 43.7

enlarge the space of your tent 49.3 -v- a listening Church 50.7

---

SEMI-FINALS

a new way of being Church 74.9 -v- respects the protagonism of the Spirit 25.1

a kenotic de-centering 59.3 -v- a listening Church 40.7

---

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

respects the protagonism of the Spirit 49 -v- a listening Church 51

BRONZE medal for "a listening Church"

---

FINAL

a new way of being Church 51.1 -v- a kenotic de-centering 48.9

GOLD medal for "a new way of being Church" and SILVER for "a kenotic de-centering".

The World Cup of Synod Jargon

The only way to understand the purpose of this Synod on Synodality is to see how people have described it. Accordingly we shall hold a World Cup of Synod Jargon, starting on Monday 30th October (using Twitter/X polls once more).

Synodal experts!

So far the runners and riders are as follows. I will accept more authentic nominations if they are genuine quotations from synodists, and I am adding new ones to the list as they are received.

a concrete, theologically astute application
a constitutive dimension
a harmony of unity and plurality
a kenotic de-centering
a listening Church
a missionary synodal Church
a new way of being Church
a place of acceptance and discernment
a synod doesn't decide — it discerns
an invitation to step towards God's table
authentic listening
beyond fragmentation and polarization
Catholics must experience the synod, must do synod
conversation in the Spirit
creating spaces for everyone
decision-making processes in an authentically synodal manner
encounters in faith
enlarge the space of your tent
experts in the synod hall
God's surprises
healthy restlessness of incompleteness
help open the doors of the church
humanity tempted by the post-human
involving and energizing the entire community
listening and dialogue
live unity-in-diversity
manage tensions
moving outwards towards everyone in order to go together

WHO LET RUPNIK IN?

not Babel — Pentecost
not concerned with emotions so much as motions
nourished unceasingly
our identity and vocation 
our pilgrim journey 
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
participation, governance, and authority
put the synod's fruits into action
significance of the round tables
synod mothers
that respects the protagonism of the Spirit
the art of new narratives
the courage to encounter reality
the horizon of communion
the invitation to journey together
the lived experience that has been shared
the most exciting moment in the Catholic Church since Vatican II
the synod process is organic and ecological 
the synodal Church as an integral experience
the truest, most vital dynamisms of the human
the vision of Vatican II
theological and ecclesial depth
this time of profound encounter and dialogue
useful for communal discernment
walking together

And if you read all that lot without screaming, then congratulations!

Synodal wimmin!